This invention relates to topical compositions for treating skin and to methods of making and using the same.
Podophyllotoxin is a natural product extracted from the roots and rhizomes of certain Podophyllum species. Alternatively referred to as PPT or podofilox, podophyllotoxin has the structure shown in FIG. 1. Podophyllotoxin can also be prepared synthetically, as discussed in Reynolds, A., et al. “The Intramolecular Carboxyarylation Approach to Podophyllotoxin” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125(40): 12108-12109 (2003), the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Podophyllotoxin is biologically active and highly cytotoxic. It has been investigated as an oral anti-cancer agent and is also used as a precursor during the synthesis of anti-cancer agent Etoposide, a topoisomerase inhibitor. Podophyllotoxin is also FDA approved for the topical treatment of genital warts.
Although podophyllotoxin has been used as noted above, it has not achieved wide-spread use in the art generally, or been used in topical cosmetic applications, largely due to its well-known toxicity.